After years of laboring in obscurity and undergoing countless lineup changes, Florida's Iced Earth emerged as one of the greatest hopes for classic metal in America. They slowly honed their sound by combining '80s thrash influences with the classic metal approach of Iron Maiden. Iced Earth hit their stride with 1996's The Dark Saga, an album that showcased the ever-improving consistency and quality of the band's songwriting. Subsequent releases included Days of Purgatory (featuring re-recordings of the best of their early material), 1998's Something Wicked This Way Comes, and 2001's Horror Show. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia